out any attention to the religious principle (and this were indeed the right preparation for sowing the seeds of sedition, obscenity, blasphemy, wickedness of every kind); or it would be an enthusiastic attention to the religious principle alone, accompanied with neglect of the intellectual principle; and this is not only the ground-work of fanaticism, but lays open the mind, in after life, to the influence of every specious sophistry, and every wild declamation. Now all this is going forward in the world, by means of agencies, over which we possess no controul. Where then is the remedy? It is in the National system; which paying equal regard to the religious and to the thinking part of our nature, secures the improved reason from being carried away by the influence of native depravity, into wicked exertions of intellectual ability; and plants around the religious principle, that fence of a sound understanding, which will detect the fallacies of the designing, sift the wicked sophistries of an abused press; and, in all the doubts and dangers whereto the poor man is exposed, will, by its alliance with the religious principle which it guards, bid fair, under divine grace, and under the means of grace, to secure his immortal soul. Among these means of grace, and counteractions of mischief, not less than seven hundred thousand anti-infidel tracts were disseminated within

one year, by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge.

NOTE. But besides these objectors to the education of the poor, in every form, there are others, who, not unfriendly to the old system of catechizing, yet think they see danger in the modern improvements, as tending to educate the lower classes too highly; to advance them in both religious and secular knowledge, beyond the fit measure for their lowly sphere. The defect of this argument is, that it is more theoretical than practical. For, even if this advancement were universal, as it is nearly so in some countries (in Scotland, Switzerland, and Sweden), as there could be no distinction. between one peasant and another, there could be no discontent with the humble lot-no dangerous or stirring ambition; no propensity to subvert the frame of society that talents might rise in the struggle. But in supposing this higher improvement even general, there is, in truth, much mistake; which a very slight practical acquaintance with the schools of the new system would rectify. The Sunday schools, when they prevailed, were well adapted for the manufacturing districts, where labour is available at the earliest age; and when education must be snatched on the seventh day, or not obtained at all. In the national schools, as weekly education and weekly labour cannot be carried on at the same time, the education terminates as soon as the labour becomes available. Hence thirteen or twelve years of age is usually the utmost period, to which the pupils remain in these institutions; but the great majority disappear from them much earlier. Take away, then, all those who never reach the higher classes,— take away all those of mean capacity, and all of irregular habits, and the number deriving advantage from the more advanced discipline remains exceedingly small: not one in twenty. It happens, however, necessarily, that these are all

of them children of the better and more creditable poor; who, if they do receive something more than the gcneral average of instruction, receive no more than they would obtain elsewhere; though without the religious habits and moral discipline of our seminaries; no more, I will add, than they are entitled to receive, as members of a family peculiarly respectable. And if, on the strength of these advantages, a few of them should, in after life, better their condition in the world, let us bless God that we live in a free country, where such amelioration is not prohibited, or obstructed; where there are no inherited and unalterable castes; where all is the gift of industry; and where diligence, steadiness, sobriety, and good principle, are allowed to make their way to the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come.

CHAPTER XXXII.

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.

Contents.

I. Difficulty of preserving Unity or Connection in this Portion of History.-II. Peace of 1802, and Return to Hostilities.-III. Sunday Drilling.—IV. Lottery.— V. Menaced Invasion.-VI. Subscription at Lloyd's.VII. Bull-baiting.-VIII. Climbing Boys.-IX. Vaccination.-X. Demoralized State of France.-XI. Methodism in England.-XII. Places of Worship in the Metropolis.-XIII. Sunday Concerts.-XIV. Music as Part of Religious Worship; Handel's Commemoration.-XV. Musical Festivals; Oratorios.-XVI. Meeting of the Charity Schools.-XVII. Painting as a Handmaid to Religion; Proposal to adorn St. Paul's. -XVIII. St. George's Chapel, Windsor; stained Glass.-XIX. Sculpture; Monuments.-XX. Election of a Minister in Clerkenwell.

I. IN the Museum, at Portici, is a beautiful vase, composed of two hundred fragments, so nicely adjusted that the junctures cannot be discerned. But who can give unity to that which never possessed it? What art can form into a consistent whole, a number of scattered heterogeneous fragments, which, though relating to one subject, are independent of each other?

This difficulty strikes us on attempting a record of ecclesiastical events in the reign of George the Third. In the preceding chapters, by a slight alteration in our plan, that of confining each division to a single subject, we have contrived to preserve, under each title, a consistent and progressive narrative. In the miscellaneous details, this unity is impracticable; every incident stands alone; cause and effect are lost; and the historian sinks into an annalist. Under these disadvantages, we proceed, according to our custom, to gather up some detached matters, which could not well be classed under any of the preceding titles..

Ecclesiastical affairs, in fact, after the Reformation, ceased to take a prominent part in the history of England. The churches had peace. Their only history consists in their internal regu. lations; their relaxations in practice; their shades of doctrine; the state of theological literature, the progress of sects, and the deaths of divines.

II. In the year 1801, nearly all the powers of Europe were subjected to the controul of France; which aimed a blow at the naval strength of Britain. She was, at the same time, afflicted with scarcity; and circumstances had led to the resignation of a ministry, who had steered the country through an untried ocean, and, by their general conduct, enjoyed its confidence. The smiles of peace returned in 1802; but this gleam was over